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The Sports Xchange

Aug 23, 2014

, Last Updated: 5:32 PM ET

USA Basketball trimmed its roster to 12 players for the FIBA World Cup tournament that starts next week in Spain.

Among those making the team were centers DeMarcus Cousins, Andre Drummond and Mason Plumlee. The cuts included NBA All-Star point guard Damian Lillard and small forwards Gordon Hayward, Kyle Korver and Chandler Parsons.

The announcement was made after Team USA's 112-86 victory over Puerto Rico on Friday night in Madison Square Garden in New York -- the final tuneup before heading to Spain.

"Since taking over the USA basketball men's national team program in 2005, this was without doubt the most difficult selection process we've gone through," U.S. managing director Jerry Colangelo said in a statement. "I can't stress enough the outstanding effort and commitment that has been given by each finalist.

"I also want to make it clear that this is not just about talent -- each player is incredibly talented and each player offered us unique skills. In the end, it was about assembling the best team, selecting guys who we felt would be able to best play the kind of style we envision this team playing."

Team USA's starters in the last two exhibitions were Irving, Curry, Harden, Faried and Davis.

"The first thing is we are very pleased with the overall effort of every player who was a part of the process," coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement. "To select 12 was difficult, because our pool is so good. As we go forward, we not only go forward as 12, we go forward as a pool for USA Basketball. As a staff we want to thank the players who are not going forward.

"I'm excited about the 12 players selected and feel we have excellent versatility and the makings of a really good defensive team."

The USA opens the 2014 World Cup on Aug. 30 against Finland, and then faces Turkey on Aug. 31 in a rematch of the 2010 FIBA World Championship gold medal game, which the USA won 81-64.